AURORA, Colo. -- Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder Tracy Baker can finally concentrate on doing his job. County commissioners on Tuesday accepted his $250,000 bond guarantee from State Farm Insurance.

The commissioners held a public hearing on the issue Tuesday and the room was packed with both Baker's supporters and detractors.

Baker has been accused of sexual harassment and financial mismanagement. He came under fire last year after allegedly sending explicit personal e-mails to a deputy clerk on the county's computer system, promoting his girlfriend twice and then giving her raises of more than $40,000 over three years.

Some of the opponents at the meeting were employees in the clerk's office who had signed a letter urging the commissioners not to accept Baker's bond.

SURVEY Should Arapahoe County Clerk Tracy Baker be recalled? Yes. This is disgraceful conduct for an elected official. No. Others (like our former president) have done worse. Results  |  Disclaimer

Baker told 7NEWS he was surprised the commissioners voted to accept the public official bond -- the only thing he needed to stay in office.

"I'm very excited, and we're going to continue to do the things that the people elected us to do, "Baker said. "We have work to do."

The commissioners accepted the bond unanimously but not willingly, 7NEWS reported. They said they were forced to accept his bond because state law requires them to because Baker had done everything that the commissioners has asked of him.

"This entire experience has been painful. It's difficult to look into the faces of 40 employees sitting there, telling us that they are living in fear and intimidation and don't know if they're going to have a job tomorrow because they spoke out against Mr. Baker. That's really difficult," County Commissioner Debra Vickery said.

Commissioners said that they will now do everything they can to work with Baker and his department although during this entire process, they have not worked with him at all, 7NEWS Reporter Rhonda Scholting said.

Baker was not invited to the official county swearing-in ceremony in January and was not invited to a long-range planning meeting for county officials which occurred just last week.

Although Baker has won one battle, the controversy surrounding the embattled county clerk is far from over.

The effort to recall Baker is now under way. By law, Baker's critics have to wait six months before they can start gathering the 34,000 signatures needed for a recall vote.

"I would like to say that Mr. Baker offends my sensibilities. We need to recall this man. The Republican Party will recall him -- we're going to get you Mr. Baker -- and it's just a matter of time, " said Jim Richards of the Arapahoe County Republican Party.

Baker's bond was increased from $10,000 to $250,000 by commissioners who said he is a legal risk to the county. They believe Baker's employees could sue the county over allegations that he has created a hostile work environment by engaging in a sexual relationship with a co-worker.

That employee, Leesa Sale, tried to speak up during Tuesday's meeting but was forced out of the room, 7NEWS reported.